Place

Posted on November 5, 2012

I’ve been thinking a lot about home. I do that a lot, so it’s not that unusual. More precisely I have been thinking about where I would like to make my home. I have been very resistant to moving because I have lived remotely in the past and there were aspects that I loved about it and a lot I wasn’t so thrilled about. Plus there are a lot of things that I love about San Diego. I have made some amazing friends here and the thought of leaving and starting over is not a thought I like to entertain.

I love nature. I can’t really survive very well with out it. I miss trees. Evergreens and oaks. I’m deathly allergic to both, but it doesn’t stop me from missing them. Diversity is pretty important to me too. Diversity of people (races, ages), ideas, community, food, art are all things I don’t want to leave out of my ideal surroundings. I miss seasons, even though I hate being cold (see why I moved to San Diego).

I would love to live in a place like the photo above and then walk 1/2 mile into a town that is maybe 5 10 50 times the size of Cicely in Northern Exposure. With diversity of markets and a supportive community. Any ideas of where that is?

P.S. Have you ever been to the site Shared Design? If I was building a house I would live on this site. It’s very cool.

P.P.S. I would like to place all my favorite people from the internet in my perfect place, so we could catch up in person and share ideas, food, and drinks.

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10 Comments

I have been having these same thoughts… the only thing that brought me to Seattle was my boyfriend. He's lived here a long time, and he's over it.. and I don't particularly love it either. I have lived in NYC, Chicago, and San Francisco and loved them all, but feel drawn more and more to a place like Cecily! My current fantasy is a farm in either Virginia or Iowa… though I've been to neither! We're from Santa Fe… we might end up back there. Have you been? It might fit the bill you describe, thought it does get cold in the winter. I'm going to check back on this post, I'm dying to hear what others have to say!

This is a conversation I would love to have with you tete-a-tete! I think that between the poetry of what type of day to day lifestyle you want, the location will be revealed.

That being said, for me home is: Warmth, nature, access to good food, a vital and diverse community that celebrates mindfulness, a small town (I think about 7,000-10,0000 might be perfect), affordability, close-ish to a large city-center (ideally 2-3 hours by car), and without a doubt a few of my favorite people (that means you!) to live close enough to toss a biscuit through your kitchen window.

Please do keep me posted on your thoughts about this, I am very interested.

I think about this all the time. I wonder if the perfect place actually exists for each of us or if it's just an easy dream for those days when home seems like it must be somewhere else?

I have a solid list of wants for my dream city and yet I have this suspicion that happiness has nothing to do with all of my wants being ticked off a list. You know what I mean?

That said, would I like all of my friends to live near me in a big, creative, modern but classical and historical city where we grow and raise all of our own food, live near an ocean/mountain/desert/and forest with short seasons, can walk everywhere, learn from amazing schools, and be near equally interesting destinations to travel to? — HELL YES!!!!

PS. Cicely, AK was actually a city in WA. Alaska wouldn't be nearly as appealing if they showed the months of darkness, -50 below temps, the frightening mosquito population, rampant alcohol and drug abuse, the crazy rednecks, etc. 😉

I know we talk about this a lot….but it's funny– I posted about this the other day too. I've been thinking about it and also wondering where my home will be. Where I am now is just not the place. I agree with Kim about happiness not based on where I live– but I still want to live a place that 'clicks' with me more…

I think about Peacetown in Iowa sometimes 😉 I think I need some water and mountains around though. The flatness might get to me, but the expansive nature of Iowa is quite cool. Virginia is really beautiful and I love the rolling hills and oaks.

I have been to Santa Fe and I really liked it. It has a lot of what I would want in a place, plus it has a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Bonus!

I'm a professional dabbler who works as a graphic and jewelry designer. I use this blog to pursue my many interests and to encourage you to do the same. I'm embracing, 'Jack of all trades, master of none; though oftentimes better than master of one.'